Another week of Big 12 play is in the books. Texas Tech and BYU both have 10-1 records and both need to win to make the Big 12 championship. If either team loses, it could open the window for Utah or Arizona State to sneak into the postseason.
Teams such as Houston and Cincinnati are now out of the conference championship picture after losing this past weekend. Despite showing improvement this season, these teams will at least get to end their season with a bowl game. West Virginia and UCF also have major games this weekend despite losing records as they will get a chance to shake up the top of the Big 12.
Here are our Big 12 Power Rankings entering Week 14 – and before you start in, make sure to check out last week's rankings as well.
#16: Oklahoma State (Record: 1-10, 0-8 in the Big 12)
The disastrous season for the Cowboys is almost at an end. Oklahoma State has lost ten consecutive games and are winless in Big 12 play. Over the past two weeks, the Cowboys have at least lost by only one score.
Last weekend, Oklahoma State lost to UCF by a score of 17-14. Freshman quarterback Zane Flores continued his development by throwing for 124 yards, two total touchdowns scored, and only one interception. The Cowboys’ defense kept the game close by recording two interceptions. The defense did implode by allowing all 17 of UCF’s points in the second half of the game. The offense made it worse by not scoring any points in the second half.
Oklahoma State will look to stay competitive when they face Iowa State in their last game of the season.
#15: Colorado (Record: 3-8, 1-7 in the Big 12)
The only bright spot for Colorado in conference play was when they defeated Iowa State in what was considered an upset win. After that game, the Buffaloes have lost four consecutive games and are beginning to look towards the 2026 season.
Head coach Deion Sanders turned to freshman quarterback Julian Lewis to be the starter for the rest of the season. After a promising game against West Virginia, Lewis was unable to keep up with Arizona State. Lewis threw for only 161 yards and one touchdown in a 42-17 loss to the Sun Devils.
The disappointing season for Colorado will end this weekend as they go on the road to face Kansas State.
#14: UCF (Record: 5-6, 2-6 in the Big 12)
Despite being one win away from qualifying for a bowl game, UCF has been disappointing in conference play with a record of 2-6. Their only conference wins were against West Virginia and Oklahoma State.
After throwing two interceptions to start the game, quarterback Tayven Jackson led the Knights to a 17-14 win against the Cowboys by throwing for 271 yards and two touchdowns. Wide receiver Dylan Wade stepped up by catching four passes for 145 yards and two touchdowns.
UCF has a lot to play for in their final game at BYU. If the Knights win, they can make a bowl game and potentially eliminate BYU from the Big 12 championship.
#13: West Virginia (Record: 4-7, 2-6 in the Big 12)
It has been a rocky season for the Mountaineers. After starting the season with a 2-1 record and beating Pitt in the Backyard Brawl, WVU lost five consecutive games and effectively ended any chance of winning the conference. West Virginia was able to find momentum shortly after by defeating Houston and Colorado. Their chances of making a bowl game ended when they lost to Arizona State by a score of 25-23.
Coming out of their bye week, the Mountaineers have a chance to shock the Big 12 when they face Texas Tech in Morgantown this Saturday. If West Virginia wants to do the impossible, they will need freshman quarterback Scotty Fox Jr. to have his best game of the season. This season, Fox has thrown for 1,178 yards, ten total touchdowns and five interceptions. Fox’s performance this weekend will be crucial for his development and his outlook for the 2026 season.
The Mountaineers will face the Red Raiders this Saturday at 12:00 PM ET.
#12: Kansas (Record: 5-6, 3-5 in the Big 12)
The Jayhawks have lost four of their last five games. Their only victory in that span was against Oklahoma State. Kansas has played below expectations this season and will finish below .500 in conference play.
The most recent loss for the Jayhawks was last weekend when they lost to Iowa State by a score of 38-14. Sixth-year quarterback Jalon Daniels failed to throw or rush for a touchdown against the Cyclones. The offense as a whole was unable to keep up with Iowa State as the defense gave up 221 yards on the ground and 241 yards in the air.
Kansas still has a chance to qualify for a bowl game. It will be a tough task to achieve as the Jayhawks face a desperate Utah team this weekend.
#11: Baylor (Record: 5-6, 3-5 in the Big 12)
Similar to Kansas, the Bears have lost four of their last five games. Their only victory in that span was against UCF. In their two most recent games, Baylor was dominated against Utah and Arizona.
Against the Wildcats, quarterback Sawyer Robertson struggled to air the ball out as he threw for only 162 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Baylor’s defense didn’t give up as many yards but allowed four rushing touchdowns and only forced one interception.
Baylor has a chance to qualify for a bowl game, but will be facing a less desperate, but talented Houston team this weekend.
#10: Kansas State (Record: 5-6, 4-4 in the Big 12)
Kansas State had a chance to shake up the Big 12 and the College Football Playoff Rankings with a win against Utah. The Wildcats ended up losing the game in the very last minute as they lost to the Utes by a score of 51-47.
Despite the loss, one performance will be remembered for a long time in Kansas State. Sophomore running back Joe Jackson had 24 carries and rushed for 293 yards and three touchdowns. His 293 yard performance now gives Jackson the program record for most rushing yards in a single game, a record that was previously held by Darren Sproles. While it remains to be seen if Jackson can ever reach Sproles’ 4,979 total rushing yards, the sophomore running back will still remain in Kansas State’s history books.
Kansas State will look to rebound from their devastating loss and qualify for a bowl game when they face Colorado this weekend.
#9: TCU (Record: 7-4, 4-4 in the Big 12)
TCU was removed from the conference championship picture when they lost to Iowa State and BYU. In response, the Horned Frogs decided to take Houston out of the picture as well with a 17-14 victory over the Cougars.
Quarterback Josh Hoover still struggled with turnovers as he threw three interceptions against Houston. He did contribute to TCU’s victory though as he threw for 293 yards and two touchdowns. Despite allowing 230 yards on the ground, TCU’s defense shut out Houston’s offense in the fourth quarter, allowing the Horned Frogs to win by three points.
With a bowl game already secured, TCU will simply look to improve their record when they face Cincinnati this weekend.
#8: Iowa State (Record: 7-4, 4-4 in the Big 12)
The Cyclones were removed from the Big 12 championship picture when they lost four consecutive games in conference play. Iowa State is finishing their season on a higher note though as they have won two consecutive games against TCU and Kansas.
Against the Jayhawks, quarterback Rocco Becht had one of his best games of the season when he completed 18 of his 23 pass attempts, threw for 241 yards and three touchdowns. This was a needed performance for Becht as before the Kansas game, he had only thrown three touchdowns and seven interceptions in his previous four games.
Becht and the Cyclones will have a strong chance to finish their season with an 8-4 record when they face Oklahoma State this weekend.
#7: Cincinnati (Record: 7-4, 5-3 in the Big 12)
Cincinnati’s chances of making the Big 12 championship have officially ended after they lost to BYU by a score of 26-14. The Bearcats were in the top mix of the conference until they lost three consecutive games to the Cougars, Utah, and Arizona.
Against BYU, quarterback Brendan Sorsby kept the offense alive with 300 passing yards, two touchdowns and one interception. The Bearcats’ defense blew the game as they allowed BYU’s LJ Martin to rush for 222 yards and two touchdowns. In their three-game losing streak, Cincinnati’s defense has allowed 26 or more points per game and the offense has been unable to keep up.
With a bowl game already secured and nothing left to play for, Cincinnati will play for pride when they face TCU on the road this weekend.
#6: Arizona (Record: 8-3, 5-3 in the Big 12)
Arizona has been one of the hottest teams in the Big 12 as they have won four consecutive games. Their most recent win was against Baylor where they won by a score of 41-17.
Quarterback Noah Fifita took a slight step back last weekend by only throwing for 183 yards, one touchdown and one interception. It was the running backs that stepped up as Ismail Mahdi and Kedrick Reescano rushed for 139 yards and four total touchdowns. Linebacker Jabari Mann also contributed to the scoring as he returned one interception for a touchdown.
Despite their winning streak, Arizona is not able to qualify for the Big 12 championship. The Wildcats do have a chance to take Arizona State out of the mix when they face the Sun Devils this weekend.
#5: Houston (Record: 8-3, 5-3 in the Big 12)
After defeating Arizona State, Houston had one of the easiest paths to the Big 12 championship. The Cougars then proceeded to disappoint by losing to West Virginia and TCU, effectively ending their chances of winning the conference.
In their most recent loss against TCU, quarterback Conner Weigman kept his team in the game by rushing for 114 yards, throwing for 161 yards, two touchdowns and only one interception. It was not enough as TCU scored a field goal in the fourth quarter and Houston was unable to respond.
Despite the lackluster finish, Houston as a program has rebounded after finishing 4-8 last season. The Cougars will look to get their ninth win this season when they face Baylor on the road this weekend.
#4: Arizona State (Record: 8-3, 6-2 in the Big 12)
Arizona State has impressed by winning three-straight games without starting quarterback Sam Leavitt. Because of this, the Sun Devils are mathematically still alive in the Big 12 championship picture.
In their most recent win against Colorado, running back Raleek Brown took over by rushing for 255 yards and one touchdown. Brown now has rushed for 1,078 yards this season, averaging 6.2 yards per carry. Despite the offense fumbling the ball three times and quarterback Jeff Sims throwing an interception, the unit still scored five touchdowns, three of them coming in the fourth quarter.
In order for Arizona State to make the Big 12 championship, they will need to defeat Arizona this weekend. BYU would then have to lose or a combination of Utah and Texas Tech losing would have to happen. To make it simple, the Sun Devils will need a lot of help to win the Big 12 championship for a second consecutive season.
#3: Utah (Record: 9-2, 6-2 in the Big 12)
Utah barely kept their season alive when they defeated Kansas State at home by a score of 51-47. The Utes are only one game behind BYU and Texas Tech, two teams that defeated Utah this season.
Against Kansas State, quarterback Devon Dampier had one of his best games of the season when he threw for 259 yards and two passing touchdowns, as well as 94 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. Backup Byrd Ficklin also continues to contribute as he rushed for 54 yards and three rushing touchdowns.
To make the Big 12 championship, Utah will need to defeat Kansas this weekend. They would also need BYU to win, Arizona State to win, and Texas Tech to lose against West Virginia. The Utes could still make it into the College Football Playoff despite not winning the Big 12 championship if they defeat Kansas and hope that other teams fall out of the top ten.
#2: BYU (Record: 10-1, 7-1 in the Big 12)
With only one game left to go in the regular season, BYU controls their own destiny to make the Big 12 championship and the College Football Playoff. The Cougars have an impressive 10-1 record with their only loss coming against Texas Tech.
In their most recent win against Cincinnati, running back LJ Martin took over as he rushed for 222 yards and two touchdowns. He was also the leading receiver for BYU as he caught three passes for 44 yards. Freshman quarterback Bear Bachmeier played a clean game by throwing for 127 yards and scoring one rushing touchdown.
BYU will be in the Big 12 championship if they defeat UCF this weekend. If they lose, they could be out of the playoffs entirely if Arizona State and Utah both win.
#1: Texas Tech (Record: 10-1, 7-1 in the Big 12)
Texas Tech is coming out of their bye week with a clear path to the Big 12 championship and a spot in the College Football Playoff. The Red Raiders have dominated throughout conference play with their only loss coming against Arizona State.
For Texas Tech to solidify themselves in the playoffs, they will need to defeat West Virginia in Morgantown this weekend. A win over the Mountaineers will keep Texas Tech in the College Football Playoff bracket no matter what happens in the Big 12 championship. If the Red Raiders lose to WVU, they could be out of the Big 12 championship with either Arizona State and BYU winning, or an Arizona State win combined with Utah losing.
To keep it simple, Texas Tech needs to win to be in.